Feel Good Friday - Volunteer Building Cambodia

With my volunteer trip to Cambodia coming up and 2026 being the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, I'm excited to spotlight Volunteer Building Cambodia this week.

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Volunteer Building Cambodia (VBC) aims to improve the living conditions of families in need in rural areas by providing them with wells, toilets, and safe, dry housing. You can find details about this work and their partnership with the JJoy Foundation in my post from December. Today I want to highlight VBC's education programs.

In rural Cambodia, inadequate education and lack of skills mean many people remain jobless or struggle with unskilled labor, resulting in limited opportunities for families to break the cycle of poverty. VBC established the Volunteer Building Cambodia Community Centre (VBCCC) in 2017 to provide a crucial step on that ladder out of poverty.

Located about 25 kilometers outside Siem Reap in Bakong village, VBCCC teaches English language and computer skills to children and teenagers who have limited or no access to these classes at their own schools. These programs complement the local Khmer curriculum and open doors for young people looking for job opportunities as well as students planning to attend universities that use English language textbooks and require digital literacy. Through their English classes, VBCCC also provides education on hygiene and sanitation, the environment, and other important subjects.

VBCCC has had a big impact in the community. With only four full-time teachers, the school serves around 200 students every day and more than 50% of them are girls! In addition, VBC has plans to create a vocational training facility starting with basic building skills to help adults in surrounding villages gain greater opportunities to find work and better provide for their families.

If you'd like to support Volunteer Building Cambodia, there are many ways to do so. You can make a donation, join a volunteer trip to build homes or teach at the Community Centre, and amplify their message on social media. Follow VBC on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and share their stories of hope and opportunity with your network. I'll be sharing photos and stories from my trip on my Hey Miss K blog so stay tuned!